‘Billy’s Bangers’ bows out

‘Billy’s Bangers’ bows out with final donation to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) before retirement. Billy Lathan of Mears Group, Gateshead, has handed over his final donation of £100 to GNAAS for his efforts throughout February. Mr Lathan, 65, serves up breakfast butties once a week and charges £1 for each under the banner ‘Billy’s Bangers’.

‘Billy’s Bangers’ bows out with final donation to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) before retirement.

Billy Lathan of Mears Group, Gateshead, has handed over his final donation of £100 to GNAAS for his efforts throughout February.

Mr Lathan, 65, serves up breakfast butties once a week and charges £1 for each under the banner ‘Billy’s Bangers’. The £1 charged for each butty is donated to a charity and this month it is once again donated to GNAAS.

This is not the first time that Mr Lathan has chosen GNAAS, he donated £100 to the charity back in March 2014 and he decided to bow out on his fundraising with Billy’s Bangers with a repeated donation.

Graeme Huggan, a manager at Mears Group, said: “Billy’s a real character. He decided to cook up his feast to donate to causes close to our hearts.

“The cash raised is down to Billy’s hard work and all the dedicated employees at Mears.”

Mr Lathan will retire on April 15 this year and will carry on making the bacon and sausage sandwiches for the Mears Group staff until then.

Mr Huggan said: “Billy has announced his retirement next month and we are very sorry to see him go. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “We’d like to wish Billy a happy retirement and just say a huge thank you for all his support over the years. Thanks also to the staff at Mears Group who continuously contributed to Billy’s fundraising.”